The Value of Diffusion -Weighted Images Combined to Conventional Breast MRI in Improving the Detection and Differentiation of Various Breast Lesions

Abstract

Conventional imaging modalities as mammography and ultrasound remain the method of choice for routine screening programs and is the first imaging aid, but conventional assessment have well-known limitations, such as inaccurate differentiation between benign and malignant lesions and estimation of the size of malignant tumors. The sensitivity of breast MRI for the detection of cancer is the greatest of all imaging techniques but when the sensitivity of the MRI was high, its specificity was low due to overlap in features of benign and malignant lesions. In this study, DWI had a higher sensitivity and specificity than DCE-MRI with ADC cut off value 1.20. This value was a sensitive and specific parameter in differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions. It is recommended to add DWI to the DCE-MRI sequences to improve its specificity and it can be used alone combined with T2WI for cases in whom contrast agent could not be given.